DISAGREEABLE CORNISH ART -

paintings from the contractor's tea-hut

The Pyramid of Power, 2009

Oil on wood panel, 3ft x 4ft

Contentious and Cornwall are not words you would normally associate with each other, but BHVU is bringing ‘Disagreeable Cornish Art’ to London with a solo exhibition of painting and sculpture by Malcolm Lindsay.

'Paintings from the contractor's tea-hut’ is a social commentary on injustice – past and present – and greed. Protest art is a subject much explored by Malcolm Lindsay and the focus of his BA in Fine Art at Plymouth University. A sculptural parody of Lady Gaga will feature alongside the protest paintings, reflecting the artist's interest in contemporary culture and social identity.

As Malcolm Lindsay describes “Some of my work is regarded as disagreeable and contentious but my intention, always, is not to attack so much as to reveal. I like to think of art reflecting not only the nuances of society but also the triumphs, tragedies and cruelties. Protest art is for the multitude – for the man on the street – and the man on the street is unlikely to want to deliberate over the meaning of a picture. A certain amount of impact is necessary.”

Much of the inspiration behind Lindsay’s art draws on his personal life experiences. Born in Singapore in 1939, he has spent time in a Vichy prisoner of war camp and an RAF military prison for failing to tow the line. He started working on farms at the age of 14 and has since worked as a smallholder, welder, lecturer and book dealer. For the past 30 years he has lived and worked in Cornwall.